April 25, 2010 - The Royal Aeronautical Society’s (RAeS) annual
conference concluded Thursday. The final presentations highlighted the
contrast between the enormous potential for future wealth creation,
exports and high-tech employment that could be generated in the UK aerospace sector with the warning
that this could be put at risk if an incoming government ignored the
need to adopt a more strategic investment agenda.

The conference speakers, representing leading global businesses,
academic institutions and aviation and defense organizations, provided a
wide ranging series of presentations and Q&A sessions.

The topics discussed stretched from the recent air travel crisis caused
by volcanic ash to future prospects for safer and more environmentally
friendly air traffic management, air finance, the expanding prospects
for British involvement in space access and the changing needs and
threats in defense.

A thought-provoking presentation by Society Past President Professor Ian
Poll, looked at how advances in radical new aerodynamic solutions for
future civil aircraft might impact on airport design, airline operations
and the environment.

This considered performance gains and improved operating efficiencies
resulting from blended wing designs set against competing factors,
including developed conventional designs and implications for airport
infrastructure. A controversial suggestion was that longer airport
runways could allow more environmentally friendly air traffic patterns
to be adopted, which might hold the promise of ending cloud-forming
contrails at high altitude.

Issues relating to the forthcoming Strategic Defense Review were
considered at length. Sir Brian Burridge, Chairman of the RAeS Learned
Society Board, pointed out that Britain’s ability to “punch-above
its weight”, combined with its willingness to engage in active
operations, had given it a global influence that could only be sustained
if financial and political support was “equally robust”.

New threats to the all-important digital connectivity of the global
community included cyber and space access attacks, and these could, if
not adequately protected, bring business, banking, travel and defense
operations to a halt. The need to protect against future vulnerability
of energy supplies was another area which indicated why defense threat
analysis of the past was no longer appropriate in a fast-moving,
technology-driven world.
The two day conference took place at No4 Hamilton Place, London, the Society’s headquarters.